FALL CREEK: Big selling point is short commute to Houston

Published 5:30 am, Thursday, March 27, 2008

Scott and Yuliya Walker had two good reasons why they needed to find a larger home — they had twins.

The Walker's began looking for a new home that was reasonably priced, not too far from the twin's grandparents, and with a large yard.

The Walkers chose Fall Creek, located at Atascocita Road and Beltway 8.

Only 15 minutes from downtown Houston, Fall Creek is especially attractive to people who drive to the city each day.

"We are very happy and comfortable here," said Scott Walker, a tax consultant. "We really like the location right off of Beltway 8 with easy access to Highway 59. The biggest draw from a family point of view is the fact that there are all young families where we live. It seems like there is always a birthday party going on our street. Our children love to run around and play with the other children. It's very nice for our kids."

The couple's children, Thomas and Victoria, are 2, but one day they will walk to Fall Creek Elementary School, which opens in August. Other schools in the area are Atascocita Middle School and Humble ISD's newest high school, Atascocita High School.

"Of course, the biggest selling point is the 15-minute commute from Fall Creek to downtown," Culet-Naber said. "You get all the benefits of living in a master-planned community with easy access to the museums and nightlife in the city.

"In places like West University, Memorial and the Heights, you will pay a lot more per square foot than in Fall Creek. You get the best of both worlds, suburban and urban lifestyles at a more affordable price."

Amenities

Fall Creek homes are in the $150,000-$2 million range, with a wealth of resort-styled amenities including The Park, a recreation complex, an aquatic center, four lighted tennis courts and a playground.

"We also have the second-largest aquatic center in the Houston area," Pierce said. "We just built a new pool, and we are planning to add a third."

The aquatic center has a six-lane, Junior Olympic competition pool, a water tower with slippery slides and picnic grounds and a recreation area with a 25-meter swimming pool, separate Jacuzzi and cabana.

When Fall Creek broke ground in 2001, the original development encompassed just 800 acres.

"In the last few years, we've acquired 400 more acres," said Pierce. "It will be another four or five years before we finish out Fall Creek."

The number one reason people want to move to Fall Creek is because of the proximity to their place of work, said Pierce.

"Seventy-nine percent of the people who move here say it's because of the location," Pierce said.

"They want a short commute, whether it's downtown or the Greenspoint or airport area. Our tagline is 'So much, so close.' "

Home buyers can select from a variety of executive style homes, patio homes or custom designs in the luxurious gated village of Serrano Creek.

"We have 11 different types of homes offered here and 18 different builders," said Pierce.

"Our top-selling homes right now are by Trendmaker and Coventry. Most are about 4,000 square feet and start at $400,000."

Though there has been a general decline in home sales throughout the country, Fall Creek appears to be holding its own, not affected greatly by sub-prime loan problems.

"We've seen a slight decrease, about 5 percent, in the number of home sales," said Pierce.

"But we've actually seen an increase in the average price of the homes that have sold.

"We sold twice as many custom homes this year as we did the year before."